India's Bharti Airtel and South Africa's MTN are discussing a management structure for a proposed merger of their emerging-markets telecoms businesses under which they would fill an equal share of key executive positions.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bharti's chairman, would be chairman of the merged company, and Phuthuma Nhleko, MTN's chief executive, would be chief executive of the enlarged group, the FT has learnt.